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Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection discussion thread

Started by Molch-R, 10 December, 2014, 03:30:20 PM

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Greg M.

Quote from: sintec on 16 August, 2020, 11:09:58 PM
And on the flip side of that question; why include Red Razors or Janus?
Because they're written by one of the most commercially successful comic writers alive (two, in the case of Janus.) We know these partucular stories are pish, but the names Millar and Morrison sell.

IndigoPrime

I do wonder what people thought of those coming to it fresh. It would be really interesting to see the sales for such issues, especially if they're late on into the run. For 2000 AD, I'd have thought the smart move would be to seed the early issues (1–20) with 'famous' stuff, get people subbing, and then go for pure quality later. The Dredd collection was all over the place for its run, bar that last 10, which hit it out of the park. The 2000 AD one has for me been much more stable, even if I'd have happily skipped from Horned God to Books of Invasions. The extension, assuming it happens, looks superb, too. Lots of quality left to mine, there, and although I'm not keen on everything being released, it's almost all objectively high quality.

Jade Falcon

Rereading these books and I noticed a nice bit of what I'm sure is not just a coincidence. An early Judge Death story, the one where Anderson is forced to go back to deadworld and let the dark judges regain access to the city. There is a panel where the Dark judges teleport into Dunc Renaldo subway.

Isn't it funny that this self same block was where Kit Agee was held in Necropolis.
When the truth offends, we lie and lie until we can no longer remember it is even there, but it is still there. Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid. That is how an RBMK reactor core explodes. Lies. - Valery Legasov

GoGilesGo

Quote from: The Mind of Wolfie Smith on 11 June, 2019, 10:45:35 AM
well, having read all ninety volumes, i feel really cheated. within the approximately twenty thousand pages that the collection covers, they have not found space for the - *imho* - single greatest wagner dredd story. admittedly i'm biased, because they were my first progs, but 'battle of the black atlantic' from progs 128 & 129 (i think) had everything - a 59(D) cit swoop, drones, meg/eastmeg politics, an almost incapacitated dredd arresting an entire eastmeg ship, fascism, blistering ron smith art, the blackest wit, everything. i would recommend this story to anyone wanting a neat into to the world of dredd, but in twentyk pages it didn't make it in to this collection. shame. extreme shame (especially considering the dross that *has* made it in).

everything above, along with the superb 'MOTHERRRR'. One of the most surprising twists in a Dredd tale. Everyone on the ship, and almost every reader imagined Cap'n Skank to be deranged but....

Jade Falcon

I've been rereading the collection.  Just finished 82, Judge Anderson The Trip and I loved all those stories.  I was telling a friend about this book and how hard Anderson really finds it.  Some of these stories are really sombre.

Anyway, I went looking on Abebooks for this one....instead this was one of the search results.  Methinks someone is a bit ambitious, ESPECIALLY for this volume

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30131502120&cm_sp=Searchmod-_-NullResults-_-BDP
When the truth offends, we lie and lie until we can no longer remember it is even there, but it is still there. Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid. That is how an RBMK reactor core explodes. Lies. - Valery Legasov

Nellgrove

Is there anything essential dredd-wise that is not in included in the mega or ultimate collection?

abelardsnazz

In my view:

The pre-Block Mania & Apocalypse War stories Battle & Pirates of the Black Atlantic, as these lay a lot of ground for what's to come.

Dredd's doubt trilogy - Question & Error of Judgement, A Case for Treatment.

McGruder's first exit as Chief Judge.

Not all of the stories featuring Judge Edgar have appeared, and events in these have often been significant in the longer term.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: abelardsnazz on 26 October, 2020, 03:26:09 PM

Not all of the stories featuring Judge Edgar have appeared, and events in these have often been significant in the longer term.

That does raise the interesting question as to why there's never been a complete Judge Edgar collection. Those are some of my favourite Dredds and all have exceptional art. Not sure they'd exactly be high profile but in something like the Mega Collection seems a bit of a missed opportunity.

Jade Falcon

Quote from: abelardsnazz on 26 October, 2020, 03:26:09 PM
In my view:

McGruder's first exit as Chief Judge.

I admit that I might be wrong but I thought we did see McGruder's first exit as Chief Judge when she resigned as well as removing those members of the Council of Five who argued for retaining her.  Unless that wasn't the first time.
When the truth offends, we lie and lie until we can no longer remember it is even there, but it is still there. Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid. That is how an RBMK reactor core explodes. Lies. - Valery Legasov

Dark Jimbo

Quote from: Colin YNWA on 26 October, 2020, 03:38:34 PM
Quote from: abelardsnazz on 26 October, 2020, 03:26:09 PM

Not all of the stories featuring Judge Edgar have appeared, and events in these have often been significant in the longer term.

That does raise the interesting question as to why there's never been a complete Judge Edgar collection.

A: There's too many stories for one volume.

B: There's too much of overlap with other threads/plots; Edgar's second story is a sort-of-sequel to The Pit, and her third is a direct sequel to Bad Frendz, part of the Doomsday build-up. You've then got the Chief Judge's Man trilogy, which is tailor-made for its own volume...
@jamesfeistdraws

abelardsnazz

As promised/threatened some time ago, I'm soon going to embark on a re-read of the Mega Collection and post comments on here. I've grouped the volumes thematically as per the intention, adding the extension volumes as appropriate. My groupings are:

1-3 Democracy
4-7 Dark Judges
8-13, 81, 89 Anderson & Psi-Judges
14-17 Devlin Waugh & other mystics
18-22 Undercover
23-25 Robotics
26-30 Antagonists
31-51, 82, 83 Mega-Epics
52-53 Legacy
54-56, 90 Extra Curricular
57-68 Dredd's World
69-80, 84-88 Dredd & the City

I'll post comments after reading each grouping, breaking down the bigger groupings into smaller chunks. I reserve the right to skip stories or whole volumes if I'm not enjoying them, but will read at least one episode of everything.

Feel free to join in with the reading or just the comments. Commencing in a few days with Democracy.

Tjm86

Quote from: abelardsnazz on 24 July, 2021, 10:31:59 AM
As promised/threatened some time ago, I'm soon going to embark on a re-read of the Mega Collection and post comments on here. I've grouped the volumes thematically as per the intention, adding the extension volumes as appropriate. My groupings are:

... and I'm going to go with a shameless plug since these groupings mirror pretty much those that I've organised my ebay sales on.  So if you want to "Read along with Snazz" so to speak, head on over to the classifieds for the link.   ;)

abelardsnazz

Completed the first three books. What a cracking start to the collection. I'd previously thought Mad City would have been the best volume for a Dredd newbie to read, but in fact America was a great book to start the collection with - told from the point of view of citizens, up against the faceless might of Justice Department, with details of the world coming through during the story and in the two sequels. Also good for Vienna to be introduced here, given her role in Total War and Dredd attempting, or not, to balance family and duty. The Garth Ennis stories at the end of were a bit of filler, but always good to see Colin's work.

Democracy Now is about the use and abuse of power, and the desire to change things or indifference from the citizens. Although not democracy-related, I liked the noir-ish Raider.

Then the bombs - Colin and Henry outdo themselves, the conviction of the Judges that they're always in the right results of the tragedy of Nimrod, and the question of when resistance becomes terrorism is handled brilliantly. D'Israeli does a great job with Nosferatu too.

I've a couple of other things to read next, then onto Volumes 4-7, Dark Judges.

abelardsnazz

Dark Judges quartet now read. Another set of brilliant stuff. The Dead Man is a stone-cold classic, I can't imagine anyone other than John Ridgway bringing the atmosphere, doom and oppression with such style, plus the design of the Sisters is truly terrifying. And the prequel/sequel stories, quality all the way.

With Necropolis itself, I'd forgotten how little Death and co. actually feature - Mortis has the most lines and appearances. I read Plagues of Necropolis after this - while not essential, it gives an idea what they were all up to. It established the Sisters though as a major supernatural threat.

And then to Death as the main character - clearly the two original stories will always be held up as classics, and Molch-R's articles highlight the balance between Death as a horror or comedy character. Frazer Irving's two stories return him definitely to the former, Anderson's first solo outing is great, and Young Death plants loads of seeds which will be revisited.

I'm going to split Anderson & other PSIs into 2, so will return here after the first 4 (8-11).

sintec

Quote from: abelardsnazz on 26 August, 2021, 11:47:53 PM
I read Plagues of Necropolis after this - while not essential, it gives an idea what they were all up to. It established the Sisters though as a major supernatural threat.

Was Plagues in the MC?
I don't recall reading it.